Greetings Tweets!

I've been working with Snow Buntings for my PhD thesis in North America and
Iceland for several years now, and I have to admit that I think this bird is
just a very light Snow Bunting. My hunch is based on two things, 1) the pure
white breast and light white covering of the back can be very common in winter
birds (especially with a less than average amount of brown on the head) and 2)
I believe McKay's lack the black 'spot' on the leading edge of the wing just
below the shoulder (first few coverts). Regardless, I'll readily admit that these two species can be hard to distinguish in winter and I could very well be wrong!

All the best,
Alex Coverdill
alexac at u.washington.edu

Alexander J. Coverdill
Graduate Student
Department of Biology
University of Washington
Box 351800
Seattle, Washington 98195